Overview
- Delegates from 57 countries, who wrapped up talks in Santa Marta on Wednesday, set up three workstreams on national exit plans, finance, and producer‑consumer coordination, plus a scientific advisory group led by Carlos Nobre and Johan Rockström.
- France unveiled a domestic timetable to quit fossil fuels with coal by 2030, oil for energy by 2045, and gas by 2050, making it one of the first major economies to set dates for all fuels.
- Organizers said the forum is voluntary and complements UN negotiations, with a summary report due in the coming weeks and a follow‑up conference planned for 2027 in Tuvalu with Ireland.
- Participants represent about one third of global fossil fuel consumption and one fifth of production, yet major producers such as China, India, and several Gulf states did not attend.
- Civil society groups praised the focus on a just transition that addresses debt and revenue risks for fossil‑dependent economies, a priority heightened by recent oil and gas price spikes tied to the Iran war.